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Bun Cha (Hanoi Grilled Pork with Noodles)

Bun cha is Hanoi's signature lunch: smoky grilled pork patties and caramelised pork belly served in a bowl of lightly sweet, tangy nuoc cham, with rice noodles and a mountain of fresh herbs for dunking.

It's a dish built on contrast — hot char-grilled pork against cool noodles, rich meat against sharp pickled carrot, all tied together by that addictive dipping broth. Famously, it's what Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain shared on plastic stools in Hanoi.

At home it comes together with a grill pan or barbecue and a handful of pantry staples. Everything can be prepped ahead, making it a brilliant relaxed dinner for warm evenings.

Servings
4
Prep Time
30
mins
Cook Time
20
mins
Ingredients
14
Total Time
50
mins

Pantry bits

Fish Sauce
Fish Sauce
Rice Noodles
Rice Noodles

Ingredients

  • 400g pork mince
  • 300g pork belly, thinly sliced
  • 3 eschalots (French shallots), finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tbsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 300g dried rice vermicelli noodles
  • 80ml lime juice
  • 250ml water
  • 1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
  • 1 small green papaya or extra carrot, thinly sliced (for the pickle)
  • 1 red bird's eye chilli, sliced
  • 2 cups mixed lettuce, mint and coriander, to serve

Instructions

  1. Mix the pork mince with half the eschalots, half the garlic, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar and the pepper. Shape into 12 small flat patties. In a separate bowl, toss the pork belly with the remaining eschalots, garlic, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Rest both for 15 minutes.
  2. Make the dipping broth: stir the remaining fish sauce and sugar with the lime juice and water until the sugar dissolves. Add the carrot, papaya and chilli and set aside to lightly pickle.
  3. Cook the vermicelli in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until tender, then drain, rinse under cold water and drain again.
  4. Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue over high heat. Grill the patties for 3-4 minutes each side and the pork belly for 2-3 minutes each side, until charred and caramelised.
  5. Divide the warm dipping broth and its pickles between four bowls, and add the hot grilled pork straight from the grill.
  6. Serve the noodles and the herb platter alongside — everyone dunks noodles, herbs and pork into their own bowl as they eat.

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